Device for handling bricks.



PATENTEDJUNE 23, 1908;

A. 0. JONES. DEVICE FOR HANDLING BRICKS.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 6.1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ii nesses PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908. A. 0.JONES. DEVICE FOR HANDLING BRICKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6.1908.

2 SHEETS-$31131 Z.

' Izav To all whom it may concern." I by rivets extending STATES ATHELSTAN O. JONES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

DEVICE FOR HANDLIN BRICKS.

No. 891,548. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 23, 1908.- Application filed April s, 1908. Serial No. 425,390.

I through the ends of the Be it known that I, ATHELSTAN O. JO ES, plates, which plates are bent or flanged for a citizenof the United States, and a resident the purpose. By this arrangement, the

of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, lates are securel fastened to the yoke and have invented a new and useful Improveliave only such sight movement relative to ment in Devices for Handling Bricks, of each other as their resiliency will permit. a

which the followin is a specification. On the outer face of each of these plates are. My inventlon re atesto a device for hana plurality of wedge blocks or lugs 6 whose -dling bricks and has for its rinci a1 object projecting surfaces are inclinedor tapered 5 to avoid the repeated rehand ng o the green towards the ground.

brick; to provlde means whereby stacks of Between each end of the yoke and the brick built up at the press may be shifted plate adjacent thereto and between each bodily to the kiln, and to attain other advan- .two adjacent plates is a vertically movable tages hereinafter appearing. plate 7 which is provided on one side with a- I The invention consists principally in proplurality of wedge blocks or beveled lugs 8 viding a lift with clamping members arranged in position to cooperate with the. counter art to enter between the spaced bricks of the wedge blocks or lugs 6 mounted on the ed lowermost tier of a stack and to clamp the spacing plates. Each of these vertically bricks of said tier with sufiicient force to supmovable plates has an upwardly projecting port the weight of the entire stack. strip 9 fixed flatwise to its rear end, and the It consists particularly in arranging the up er end of each of these strips is twisted clamping device so as to be operated autoto lie fiatwise against a horizontal cross head matically by the hoisting mechanism. 'or member 10 to which all of said strips are It also consists in the arrangements and riveted or otherwise fastened. This cross combinations of parts hereinafter described member is mounted in a strap 11 provided brick; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of towards the fixed spacing plates towhic and claimed. 7 therefor on the vertical member 3 ofthe In the accompanying drawings, which mainframe. This strap constitutes a 0- form part of this specification and wherein siti-oning guide for maintaining the mova 1e like symbols refer to like partswherever they members in proper position with respect to occur, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a lift their fixed counter )arts. The resiliency of embodying my invention in operative relathe flat strips to w iich the movable plates tion to the partially completed stack of are secured tends to press suchmovableplsltes t e i my device on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing are respectively adjacent. Normally, thl: it in operative relation to a completed stack movable plates are in their lowermost posiof brick; Fig.3 is a vertical sectional detail tions, with only the narrower portions of view of the uppermost portion of my lift their wedge blocks in engagement; and, con- Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 44 sequently, each movable plate'is closer to its of Fig. 2. i companion fixed plate than in its'raised po- The frame of my device comprises an sition in which the wider portions of the elongated horizontal member l whose ends 2 wedge blocks are in 'engagement.

member.

are turned laterally, at right angles to the The cross head 10 has an upwardly eX-f body portion, so as to constitute a stifi yoke. tending bail 12 fixed thereto and the upper Said framealso comprises a channel or rigid end of this bail is pivotally secured to a lever vertical-member 3 secured to the middle por-' 13 which is pivoted at the front portion of tion of the lower horizontal member and havthe laterally projecting end 4 of the upright ing its upper end 4 turned laterally on'the member of the frame. Journaled on the same side as the ends of the horizontal frame 3'above thelever is a hand lever or cam let-Whose short end is arranged to bear Mounted on the horizontal member of' against the uppersurface of said lever and yoke are a plurality of equidistant plates 5 thereby lower saidlever and the parts conarranged to stand vertically edgewise. These nected the eto. Between the fulcrum of-the plates are spaced from each other and from lever 13 and the oint of attachment of the the ends of the yoke a distance greater than vertically movablli frame, that is, above the the thickness of a 'brick A. Preferably, center of gravity of the device, thelever is these plates are fixed to the body oflthe yoke provided with a bail 15 or' other device fixed plate or between a movab adapted for connection'with a grab hook or other hoisting mechanism..

The operation of my device is as follows:

As the bricks are delivered from the press,

they are stacked up in single rows one brick deep just as they are intended to stand in the kiln. The bricks of the lowermost tier or tiers are accurately. spaced apart, preferably by the use of marks provided therefor on the floor. The lift, which is preferably hung on a derrick or other suitable hoisting mechanism is then brought into engagement with the stack by entering its pairs of plates in the respective spaces between adjacent bricks. Prior to the operation of entering said plates into the spaces, the hand cam 14 is .turned so as to bear the leverand the parts connected thereto downwardly with respect to the main frame, and thereby permit the resiliency of the strips to press the movable plates as. closely as practicable to their companion plates that are fixed on the frame.

When the plates are properly entered between the bricks, the hand cam is manually turned out of engagement with the lever 13 and the hoisting mechanism set inmotion to raise the device. The lifting force is applied from the bail to the lever andthence to the movable frame and the parts connected thereto. Preferably, the initial clampin action is effected by raising the end of the lGVa'l 13 manually, instead of depending upon the hoisting mechanism. As the movable clamping plates move upwardly, their wedge members cooperate with the counter art respec tive wedge 'members of the fixe lates and spread said plates a art, that is, t e cooperating wedges force t 1e movable plates laterally against the bricks of the lowermost tier or tiers, as the case may be, this lateral movement being permitted by the-resiliency of the strips on which the movable plates are mounted. In consequence of this lateral movement of the movable plates, the bricks of the lowermost tier or tiers are firmly clamped between a movable late and a e plate and an end of the yoke. After the plates have firmly clamped the several bricks of the lowermost tier or tiers, there can be no further movement of the movable members with respect to the frame, and consequently the further application of the lifting force is transmitted tothe main frame, and theentire device with the stack of bricks thereon is lifted. bodily and transferred to the kiln or other desired place. It is noted that during this o eration, the entire weight of the stack is ut'hzed in the clamping action. When the stack is set down at its destination, the lift is disengaged therefrom simply by lowering the lever, which leaves the plates to be withdrawn laterally from the stack.

()bviousiy', the construction hereinbeforedescr bed adn'nts of considerable variation seams without departing from my invention, and I do not wish to be restricted to the particular construction shown and described.

What I claim is: 1. A device for handling bricks comprising a frame having a plurality of spaced pairs of' members adapted to be inserted between adjacent bricks of a stack, and means for spreading apart said members to clamp said bricks. j

2. A device for handling bricks comprising a frame having a plurality of spaced parallel members at its lower end, clamping members movably mounted adjacent to said first mentioned members respectively, and means located between each alternate space for spreading apart the members at the sides of said space.

3. A device for handling bricks comprising a frame having a plurality of spaced plates fixedly mounted at its lower end, a set of movable plates located between said first mentioned plates, and means between each fixed plate and the movable plate adjacent thereto on one side for spreading the same apart.

4. A device for handling bricks comprising a frame having a plurality of spaced plates fixedly mounted at its lower end and a plurality of movable plates paired therewith, one side of each plate having wedge members thereon arranged to cooperate with counterpprt wedge members on the next adjacent pate. v

5. A device for handling bricks comprising a frame having a yoke at its lower end, a plurality of spaced lates in said yoke and a vertical member red to said yoke, a second frame movably connected to said first men tioned frame and having a series of plates paired with said first mentioned plates, and means for spreading apart the plates of a air.

6. A device for handling brick comp sing a rigid yoke having a plurality of Spaced plates between the ends thereof and a vertical member fixed to said yoke .and having its upper end projecting laterally above saidv plates, a second frame having plates adjacent to said first mentioned plates, and a lever pivoted to the upper end of the first mentioned frame and connected to said second. frame, adjacent plates of the respective frames having counterpartspreading devices thereon.

7. A device for handling bricks comprising a frame having a yoke at its lower end, a plurality of spaced plates in said yoke and a ver tical member whose upper end projects over said yoke, a second frame-having a series of plates paired with said first mentioned plates, means for spreading apart the plates of a pair, a lever mounted on the upper end of said first mentioned frame, and means for connecting said second frame to said lever.

a frame having a yoke at its lower end, a plurality of spaced lates in said yoke and a vertical member w ose upper end projects over said yoke, a second frame havinga series of platespaired with said first-mentioned plates, means for spreading apart the plates of a pair, a lever mounted on the upper end of said first mentioned, frame, means for connecting said second flame to said lever, and means for connectmg sa1d lever to a hoisting device.

} 9. A device for handling bricks comprising a frame having a oke at its lower end, a plurality of s 'aced said yoke, a second frame having a series of tioned mounte plates paired with respect to said first men- (plates, counterpart wedge blocks on the adjacent surfaces of plates of each pair, a lever mounted on the upper end of said first mentione frame and connected to said second frame, and means lo oated between such-point of connection and the fulcrum of the lever to a hoistin device.

10. A device for andling bricks comprising a frame having a yoke at its lower end, a plurality of spaced plates in said yoke, and a verticalmember whose upper end projects ates in-said yoke and a vertical mem er w ose upper end pro ects over ever for securing saidover said Iyoke, a second frame com rising a horlzonta cross member above sa1 yoke, a series of plates paired with sa1d first mentioned plates and resiliently connected tosaid cross member, and means for raising said cross member relative to the first mentioned frame, adjacent faces of the plates of each-pair being provided with counterpart Wedge blocks adapted to spread said plates apart. 1 11. Adevice for handlin bricks comprising a rigid 'yoke having a p urality of spaced plates between the ends thereof and a vertical member whose upper end projects above said yoke, a second frame having plates aired with said first mentioned plates, a

ever pivoted to the upper end of the first JAMEs A. CARR, J. B. MEGOWN. 

